THE HILL
06/16/23
UPS Teamsters voted overwhelmingly to authorize their union to call a strike if no deal is reached by the current contract’s expiration date of Aug. 1, the union announced Friday.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union which represents more than 340,000 UPS workers, said 97 percent of participants voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Such a strike would have significant repercussions on the economy.
The vote’s result, which was expected, does not guarantee a strike will be called. The Teamsters said the vote gives the union “maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table.”
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien celebrated the vote as a win for union members.
“This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS. If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself,” O’Brien said in a press release.
“The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly,” he added.
The Teamsters and UPS officials have been in negotiations for months over a new contract, which would set pay and working conditions for the union’s UPS workers. Recently, the Teamsters secured a win when the union and UPS reached a tentative agreement to install air conditioning in vehicles, as many drivers face heat-related health problems. Other issues were resolved this past week as well.
UPS Teamsters voted overwhelmingly to authorize their union to call a strike if no deal is reached by the current contract’s expiration date of Aug. 1, the union announced Friday.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union which represents more than 340,000 UPS workers, said 97 percent of participants voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Such a strike would have significant repercussions on the economy.
The vote’s result, which was expected, does not guarantee a strike will be called. The Teamsters said the vote gives the union “maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table.”
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien celebrated the vote as a win for union members.
“This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS. If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself,” O’Brien said in a press release.
“The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly,” he added.
The Teamsters and UPS officials have been in negotiations for months over a new contract, which would set pay and working conditions for the union’s UPS workers. Recently, the Teamsters secured a win when the union and UPS reached a tentative agreement to install air conditioning in vehicles, as many drivers face heat-related health problems. Other issues were resolved this past week as well.
Still, union members say key issues remain, including raising pay and eliminating reliance on lower-paid drivers.
UPS officials issued a statement saying “approval votes are normal steps in labor union negotiations” and they were confident there would not be a strike.
“The results do not mean a strike is imminent and do not impact our current business operations in any way. Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations. We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company and our customers,” the UPS statement read.
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